PRM300 Introduction to Project Management Discussion Question

Prior to completing this discussion, please read the assigned page ranges in Chapters 2, 3, and 4 in your textbook and the Weekly Lecture.

It seems like every organization has more projects to complete than the amount of resources they have available to work on those projects. In this situation, how do companies prioritize which project to select first? There are a variety of thought processes and tools used to choose projects. Choose a tool that has not been discussed widely in the discussion thread, and explain how the tool is useful while adding to the class’s body of knowledge.

Your initial response should contain at least 200 words and be supported by at least one additional Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Source (Links to an external site.)(other than the textbook or required reading).

Lecture below:

Week 2 – The Planning Phase of a Project

This week we continue with our examination of common elements in project management and learning about the planning phase of a project. You will learn about various tools and processes that can help you choose the right project.

The Initiation Stage - The Project Charter

Last week we were in the Initiation stage of the project. In this stage, the project objectives/needs were identified and the project charter was created.

This is also the stage where projects vie for limited project resources. Once the project has been chosen and the sponsor signs off on the project charter, the project is officially initiated and transitions to the project planning.

The Planning Stage – The Project Scope and Project Scope Statement

In this week’s learning activity, we begin planning the project. In the planning stage, additional research and work is performed to determine the steps to complete the project. This is where the project scope, the project scope statement, the project’s timeline, and budget are finalized.

Project Management Methodologies

There are many ways to take a project from start to finish. A methodology is simply a set of principles and processes for managing a project (Cohen, 2017). Some of the well-known methodologies include, Waterfall, Agile, Six Sigma, Critical Path Method (CPM), PRiSM, and PRINCE2. While we will focus on PMI’s method in this course, often called the Waterfall method, the project methodology selection is highly dependent on the type of project, maturity of the project team, organizational readiness, stakeholders’ expectations, and availability of project management tools.

Learning Activity #1: Filling out the Project Scope Template

This week you will be creating the project scope statement. The project scope clarifies the work needed to create the project. The project scope statement is a progressively elaborated version of the project charter.

This week, you will review your project charter and the feedback you and your other classmates have received, add the necessary information, and update the project charter to become the project scope statement. A template has been provided as part of this learning activity will walk you through some things you should be doing and thinking about at this stage in the project, we are calling this template the ‘Project Scope Template’ for simplicity sake. While this is not a PMI template, something like this may be provided to help standardize project reporting in some organizations.

A note to help avoid confusion. Some project management practitioners use the terms charter, scope, scope statement, and, statement of work interchangeably. While these have similar elements, they are not the same things and their key difference. PMI, the PMBOK® Guide, and the course textbook use the terms correctly and are good sources here. Here is a quick overview of the differences between these terms:

• The project charter is developed first and formally authorizes the project during project initiation. There is a high- level scope defined in this document.
• The scope is all the products, services, and results that the project provided (PMI, 2017, p. 722).
• The scope statement is defined during project planning and describes the work to be finished to meet the expected deliverables in a defined timeframe and within a specified budget.
• The statement of work is typically used with outside contractors to further define specific work expectations to meet project scope and contractual obligations.

This week you will be creating a project scope statement for your project. The project scope statement provides:

• A description of the project
• The project’s deliverables
• What needs to be done for the project to be said to be complete
• What the project does not include (PMI, 2017, p. 155)

Here is an example of a project scope statement:

Paint the dining room of Bill and Mary Smith’s home. This project will include obtaining paint (Sherwin-William SuperPaint Interior Acrylic Latex in #6106 Kilim Beige) and necessary tools; removing pictures, wallpaper, and movable items from the room; covering non-movable items; painting walls, ceiling, and baseboards; post paint cleaning; and resembling the room. The project is complete when the room is reassembled, and the painting job has been approved. The project’s budget is $1,100 and the project must be completed before October 25, 2019.

The project scope statement, like all project documents must stand on its own and clarify exactly what the project is. Anyone, even someone not involved in the project, should be able to read this and know what the project is.

Thinking like a reporter may help you create a scope statement too. Reporters answer the five W’s (and two h’s) who, what, when, where, why, how, and how much. Who is the project for? What is the project? When does the project need to be done? How will you be doing the project? And, How much will the project cost?

This project scope answers the 5 w’s and 2 h’s. Who is the project for (Bill and Mary Smith), what is being done (painting the dining room with a specific paint and color), when (before the July 25, 2019), where (Smith’s living room), why (assumed here), and how (removing pictures, getting all the necessary tools, cleaning up, reassemblying the room, and obtaining final approval), and for how much ($1,100).

It is also a good idea to put what the project does not include. For example, if Mary and Bill hired contractors to paint the home and the painters were not responsible for moving furniture in and out of the room then this information needs to be a part of the scope statement.

Figure 1: Section one of the Project Scope Statement

Figure 2: Section 2 – Project Details

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

It is best to finalize the scope statement before working on the work breakdown structure (WBS).

The work breakdown structure (WBS) is a representation of the detailed project scope statement that specifies the work to be accomplished by the project. In other words, the WBS takes the project and breaks it down into smaller, more manageable pieces (Brenner, 2009). The end-product will be an organized, visual display of the main pieces of your project.

The WBS is a hierarchical structure that can be pictured similar to a family tree, an organization chart, or an outline for a paper.

The tasks of the WBS are ‘deliverables’ not actions. A work package is the lowest level of defined work where cost and duration can be managed.

These statements need to stand on their own and be clear to anyone who picks up the document. Additional information about each task can be added in the WBS dictionary, but the statements must clearly define the deliverable on their own.

Figure 1 highlights the steps used to develop a WBS.

Figure 1. Steps to create a WBS

There are no hard rules on how wide or deep your WBS structure should be. However, the subtasks, need to be small enough to maintain control and visibility and at the same time avoid excess bureaucracy.

The WBS, like everything else, needs to be clear and stand on its own so anyone, even someone unfamiliar with the project knows what you are talking about. Project documents are often forwarded to others who are not intimately familiar with the project and they need to be able to understand the tasks.

In section two of the Project Scope Template, you will be creating a high-level work break down structure.

A WBS of a project to paint a few rooms in a home will look like this (see below). Note for this assignment you only need to provide the main tasks (in bold), however, you can include the subtasks (indentend) if you wish. You will be adding the subtasks later in this course.

1. Purchase and assemble necessary paint materials

1.1. Buy paint

1.2. Buy a ladder

1.3. Buy brushes/rollers and plastic sheeting

1.4. Buy wallpaper remover

2. Prepare room

2.1. Remove old wallpaper

2.2. Remove detachable decorations

2.3. Remove easy to remove furniture

2.4. Cover floor with old newspapers or plastic sheeting

2.5. Cover electrical outlets with tape

2.6. Cover furniture with sheets

3. Paint the room

4. Clean up the room

4.1. Dispose or store remaining paint

4.2. Clean brushes/rollers

4.3. Dispose of old newspapers

4.4. Remove covers

4.5. Reassemble the room

References

Brenner, S. (2009). Plan projects with a work breakdown structure. Retrieved from https://unclutterer.com/2009/04/16/plan-projects-with-a-work-breakdown-structure/ (Links to an ext